Resources for Teachers and Students on Maya Lin
Prepare: Maya Lin is best known for designing the
Vietnam Veteran's Memorial in Washington, D.C. Her other
work, however, is quite striking. A sampling of Maya
Lin's art can be found on the PBS "Art 21"
website.
Read:
Maya Lin's original
article for the Architects of Peace project is quite
short, and was primarily concerned with her belief that
"peace will only come when we learn to live on this
planet in a way that allows all other creatures to exist
alongside us." In addition to being an artist and architect,
Maya Lin is an active environmentalist who serves on the
board of directors of the National Resources Defense Council.
To supplement your reading of her article, read her questions-and-answers
interview on the National Resources Defense Council
website.
Explore: There are several websites dedicated to
the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial. One is run by the National
Park Service, the agency responsible for maintenance
of the memorial. Another site is maintained by veterans
of the 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry of the US Army.
An additional site serves as a repository for reflective
essays written about the memorial.
Write: Prior to the opening of the Vietnam Veteran's
Memorial, a great deal of controversy was generated by the
simplicity of the design itself. Research news articles
from that period (the memorial was dedicated in November
of 1982) to determine the nature of that controversy, as
well as the public response when the memorial was finally
unveiled. Write a three-to-five page paper summarizing your
research. In what ways can Maya Lin's design for the memorial,
especially given the fact that she was a 21-year-old grad
student at the time, be considered courageous? Do you think
a different design would have resulted in a more fitting
memorial to those who lost their lives fighting this war?
Extend:
The National Resources Defense Council, of which Maya Lin
is a member of the board of directors, maintains an "Earth
Action Center"; where it's possible to take
action on timely environmental issues, either by participating
in the public comment process regarding the formation of
proposals and regulations, or by urging legislators to consider
the environmental effects of pending legislation.
Additional Resource: In 1995, the Academy Award
for Best Achievement in Feature Documentary was awarded
to a documentary film titled "Maya Lin: A Strong Clear
Vision." A copy of the video is available at many libraries.
Biography of Maya
Lin
